It looks like France is gearing up for Stockholm! According to Télé 7 Jours, who also brought the news about Kendji Girac’s Eurovision response last week, the duo Marianne James and Stéphane Bern will once again sit in the French commentators’ chairs for Eurovision next May in Stockholm.
Marianne and Stéphane already teamed up for this year’s Eurovision and did a wonderful job providing commentary for the final. With Marianne’s vast knowledge of musicology and Stéphane being an expert in history and geography, the combination was a perfect fit. The press and the public lavished praise on the duo for their amazing work!
We met the duo back in Vienna and both seemed very confident about Lisa Angell’s chances in the final. We are happy to see them back!
France’s internal selection
According to the same article, the national broadcaster France 2 has started searching for Lisa Angell’s successor and has already received many songs. Their wish for 2016 would be to find a famous artist, potentially with a song that has already become a hit.
It seems like the head of the French delegation, Nathalie André, is back on track and working hard to prepare her revenge next year, as she promised. After this year’s poor result with Lisa Angell coming 25th, André has been heavily criticized for her choices by the press and also by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, which led her to think about a possible withdrawal of the country.
Now that Indila has already turned down Eurovision and Kendji giving a vague response about a possible participation, heads are turning to other big stars who could possibly represent France and give them the result they have been longing for.
Who do you want to see representing France? Should France go with an established artist or a newcomer? Check our pick for France in our weekly Wednesday Wishlist and tell us what you think in the comments below!
PARIS, FRANCE – New broadcaster, new selection and now new commentators, France is definitely considering Eurovision with a different eye this year. It has just been announced that France 2 has cho.
They had a great singer in their ‘national final’ of 2014 but turned her down. France could choose JOANNA to participate for them with a powerful but modern ballad which is crafted in both English and French as to connect with more people but sill keep its French twang! She is a great live vocalist who can really belt a tune out so why not choose her!
Yes she’s pretty unknown but that, half the time, is a good thing for Eurovision!
Alizée? She had huge commercial success throughout Europe approx 10 years ago and was a star in many country’s (she even scored a top 10 hit in the UK with “Moi Lolita”). She might not be as successful these days but she is still young and could easily smash out a huge hit that could really reignite her international career and could see Fance place high up the score board!
France should borrow Stromae or Nadav Guedj for next year. As long as they don’t invite mature artists for a while (like Lisa, Mylene) maybe that is okay… France in general is very picky towards their new, growing artists and that is difficult for them to let them expose to Eurovision limelight. Maybe they need someone who is a great singer, a novice, who wouldn’t be bothered or is fearless of Eurovision press and fame in case of any risks of being called the losers of Eurovision, typecast winners, or the like.
I would love Louane. Petite Meller is a French-Israeli singer who’d I love also.
Great news 🙂 If Kendji (or Indila although it’impossible) participated in Eurovision 2016, then we would head to Paris in 2017. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be a possibility.
At least France are complaining about their results and are saying they will do something about it (unlike the BBC). To be honest I don’t really know what the perfect song for France would be, but it needs to be fresh, commercial and something that would sell well. This year was a perfect example of the show evolving into a more commercial, contemporary contest – and if they did what Poland did in 2014 and approach someone after they have a big hit in 2013, it could do well.
). So maybe that’s the key, pick a good artist (that shouldn’t be hard), and then a good song. It may be a little sad, but that’s what Eurovision winners did lately. Just listen to the last few winners album: it’s never really similar to the winning song.
(and my big fingers messed up and I pressed “post” by mistake. Woops!)
To go a little further here: when it comes to France, you can’t just choose an artist, you also have to choose a good song. What happened lately was that every French artist came up with a song that totally did fit his own style, but the thing is that this specific style never was really Eurovision friendly (with a few exceptions, such as, imo, Jessy Matador and maybe Amandine Bourgeois). In a lot of other countries tho, the artists understood that they may need help from someone else who knows Eurovision (Thomas G:son for instance. who gave a hand… Read more »
Mylène?
Mmm I’m not sure Christine’s music is very Eurovision-friendly. She’d need a much stronger song to have any chance at making it to the top 10.
@ Hey dear…I know….I did not mean it with this way 100% but i tried to write that : hey… ”whats the really big deal here”..? kind of situation.. But of course its real news… But ok.. Since it was YOU dear that involved in this its really major article 🙂 hehe.. And excuse me if you got the wrong thinking about my comment.. It was just an instant thought of mine.. ——————– @ lmao Just shut the f**k up ”please”… I really want to slap you in the face hard & if only i could… Stop referring to me… Read more »
I am French and I really quite trust Nathalie André. We, French, discuss these choices. Seriously, we think that Nathalie André became aware of these errors, and that she really wants to put back to the styles of the day the Eurovision in France, and to take her revenge on the results of the last year. I also think that the method of selection, that is the song is published without being revealed ” as song Eurovision ” a good thing is. In France, a song which wears the banner ” song Eurovision ” is necessarily a bad song, because… Read more »
Shame Indila turned down. She would be a great choice otherwise. Known in France but not in Europe. It would’ve worked so well..
Why not turn to Canada again? They have great artists and have contemporary sounds. They could do well. Last time France used a Canadian artist it worked really well, 4th place..
Indila is nowhere to be found now, perhaps preparing new music? It wouldn’t hurt if France 2 contacts her management…
I certainly hope Natalie André is not going to decide alone this year again. I’m totally ok with admitting than doing a mistake is always possible, but hell, doing the same one twice in a row? Nah thanks. I’m not going to ask for a national selection (I know we’ll never get that, sadly…), but please, don’t send a song based on one person’s opinion. That said, I’m still betting on a bottom five this year. Nothing has been done so far to try and change the image of France at Eurovision (inside and outside of the country) and yet… Read more »
I wonder what kind of popular artist in France would want to take part in Eurovision…
Kendiji would be the best choice, it’s up to France 2 to make him say yes
YOU ARE SO ANNOYING PLEASE SHUT UP MARIO NO ONE CARE YOUR OPINION
Well ok…But this news is just too random…{with no offense to the contributor that published it…and i do not aim at him actually…to clear this} Its still so early 4 next year’s Vision & the summer aint over yet even… The names of commentators are released just too late anyway just some weeks before the live shows of May.. So its just odd to read this article that these people are confirming that they will participate next year again NOT as acts but only as just commentators…That its not really major post anyway.. What can i say…Just whatever i guess..… Read more »
Louane? She was quite positive.